Remap may help Senate's Jones

GOP-friendly district giving him easier race

October 27, 2002|By Dan Mihalopoulos, Tribune staff reporter.

Walking door to door in his northwest suburban district, state Sen. Wendell Jones appeared eager not to waste time. After introducing himself at one doorstep, he backpedaled, asking: "Do I have your vote?"

"Are you Republican?" shot back a woman on a leafy street in Arlington Heights.

"Yes!" shouted Jones, a Republican from Palatine.

"You're in pretty good territory," the woman said.

Indeed, incumbent Jones and his Democratic opponent in the Nov. 5 election, lawyer Michael Minton of Inverness, are treading on historically Republican turf, and that could save Jones some money.

In 2000, Jones and Democrat Sue Walton spent a combined $1.4 million in their campaign for the 27th Illinois Senate District--the most expensive legislative campaign in state history. Jones prevailed by 948 votes of 66,000 cast.

After that election, the Democrats won the right to redraw the state's legislative map, which has made election more difficult for a number of Republicans.

But if anything, the newly drawn 27th District appears more conservative than before, including all or parts of Arlington Heights, Buffalo Grove, Hoffman Estates, Inverness, Mt. Prospect, Palatine, Prospect Heights, Rolling Meadows, South Barrington and Wheeling.

The mapmakers cut from the 27th District areas that favored Jones' Democratic foe in the 2000 election, including parts of Schaumburg and Elk Grove Townships, in order to bolster Democrats' chances in neighboring districts.

Still, Minton, 56, is running an aggressive campaign stressing his political independence. He is encouraged that Jones, 64, after struggling in the general election two years ago, needed help from prominent Republicans last March to overcome a strong primary challenge.

At a candidates forum weeks before his primary win, Jones, a state senator since 1998, confidently predicted that he would win re-election far more easily this year than in 2000-- unless the Democrats again spent huge sums on the race and slated "somebody named Tammy" as their candidate, Jones said.

Jones now says he regrets making that politically incorrect remark. Still, his wishes have largely come true: Jones does not have a female opponent, and his male Democratic rival got no real help from his state party until recently.

The Illinois Democratic Party gave $40,000 to Minton's campaign in the last 10 days. Minton has raised about $105,000 since June, compared with about $75,000 for Jones, according to campaign finance reports.

On the campaign trail, Minton strongly emphasizes his independence from party politics. He said he has voted for Republicans before and volunteered for the campaign of former Republican Gov. Jim Thompson.

"I will stand up for what I believe in, not what I'm told to vote for," Minton said. "I will be 100 percent more independent. He is not his own person."

Eager to prove his independence, Minton even criticized the state Democratic chairman, House Speaker Michael Madigan of Chicago, for channeling a $300,000 state grant to a livestock show run by a college classmate.

Jones offered no apologies for his loyalty to Republican leaders.

"The state Senate is a very partisan body," Jones said. "They don't have any chairs for independents. It's good strategy, I guess, for him to pose as a `Republicrat.'"

Minton, a divorce attorney, is most widely known for representing Michael Jordan's wife in the couple's prenuptial agreement and authoring the 1983 book "What Is a Wife Worth?"

On social issues such as abortion and guns, Minton and Jones said they differ along traditional party lines.

As in the primary campaign, Jones has taken flak from his general election opponent for pork barrel projects he sponsored, especially a $50,000 state grant for four stone markers at the entrance to Inverness. Inverness' mayor, Jack Tatooles, was Jones' campaign manager in 2000.

Minton said he is opposed to any such "member initiatives" projects.

"It's cronyism," he said. "It's funny money."

Jones has steadfastly defended all the grant money that he brought to his district.

"What trees has [Minton] planted?" Jones said, playing on a famous line from Chicago political history.

The two candidates also differ on plans to expand O'Hare International Airport. Minton said he fully supports the expansion plan endorsed by Gov. George Ryan and Chicago Mayor Richard Daley. Jones opposes it, saying that airplane noise is a major problem in his district.

Yet both agree that voters with no strong party allegiance probably outnumber Republicans and Democrats in the district.

And as Minton shook hands with voters at the Arlington Heights Metra station on a recent morning, his hopes rose when he met a Democrat.

"More and more of my neighbors are Democrats or moderate Republicans," said John Matson, a lawyer from Arlington Heights.

Jones said he is not relying on his party affiliation to guarantee victory.

"The key is the independent voter," Jones said. "I don't have a Rose Garden strategy. I'm not at home in my hot tub. I'm walking precincts."